\Grav"i*ty\, n.; pl. {Gravities}. [L. gravitas, fr.
gravis heavy; cf. F. gravit['e]. See {Grave}, a., {Grief}.]
1. The state of having weight; beaviness; as, the gravity of
   lead.
2. Sobriety of character or demeanor. ``Men of gravity and
   learning.'' --Shak.
3. Importance, significance, dignity, etc; hence,
   seriousness; enormity; as, the gravity of an offense.
         They derive an importance from . . . the gravity of
         the place where they were uttered.    --Burke.
4. (Physics) The tendency of a mass of matter toward a center
   of attraction; esp., the tendency of a body toward the
   center of the earth; terrestrial gravitation.
5. (Mus.) Lowness of tone; -- opposed to acuteness.
{Center of gravity} See under {Center}.
{Gravity battery}, See {Battery}, n., 4.
{Specific gravity}, the ratio of the weight of a body to the
   weight of an equal volume of some other body taken as the
   standard or unit. This standard is usually water for
   solids and liquids, and air for gases. Thus, 19, the
   specific gravity of gold, expresses the fact that, bulk
   for bulk, gold is nineteen times as heavy as water.